Barbarian Alien (17 page)

“What are you doing?”

“Getting dressed. I need to check my traps.”

He gets to his feet and snatches my clothing from my hand. “You cannot go hunting. Even now, you might be carrying my child. Our child.”

Oh, no he did not just throw the
barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen
thing in my face. “You really want to see my head explode, don’t you?”

He frowns. “I would never wish harm on you—“

“Aaaah!” I throw my hands up. “Fine. You want to be like this?” I jab a finger into his chest — which stings, because the damn thing is plated. “Nothing has changed between us other than a little rompy-pompy. We had sex, that’s it. I did not become your magical property, and you did not magically become my man. We are the same as we ever were, which means we are two jerks who like to bicker with each other. My hunting skills have not been affected by your jizz. I know it’s dangerous out there. Remember the part where I dragged your broken body for like three goddamn miles in the snow?”

His arms cross over his chest.

“Yeah, I thought so.” I gesture at the cave mouth. “So now I’m going to go out and catch us breakfast. You can sit in here and like, beat your chest like a caveman or something.” I move to pick up my bow, and he catches it before I can sling it over my shoulder. I glare furiously at him.

When he speaks, Raahosh’s voice is low and serious. “Before you arrived here in this world, I had nothing to live for. I hunted. I existed. I did not look forward to anything. But now you are here, and you might be carrying my child even now.” His jaw flexes. “I know you are more than capable. The problem is not with you. It is with me. This world is dangerous, and I think of you, alone, out in the wild, and it is more than I can bear.” He stares at me for so long and so hard that I think his jaw is going to snap from grinding his teeth. “If I lose you,” he finally says gruffly, “I have nothing.”

And because I’m a total marshmallow, I soften. I reach up to pat his cheek, but he leans in to my touch and it turns into a caress. “Raahosh, seriously. I know how to take care of myself.”

“So do I. I was still downed by a band of metlaks.”

He’s got a good point. “So come with me. We can hunt together.” I nod at him. “If you’re feeling up to it.”

“I have a better idea,” he murmurs, and pulls the bow out of my hands. “We eat the smoked meat. You come back to bed and let me fill your soft cunt with my hard cock.” His arms go around my waist and he drags me against him. The moment we touch, our cooties start to resonate. “And then we will go hunting tomorrow. Together.”

It’s hard to stay mad at a guy when he strokes your skin and makes you prickle all over with desire. I consider for a moment. “My traps?”

He glances out at the entrance to the cave. “It is snowing. Whatever is in them will stay frozen another day.”

“Mmm.” I pretend to consider. There’s really no considering to be done. My cootie’s going a mile a minute, and I can tell I’m already wet between my legs with need. I look up at him. “If we’re going to be mates—“

“There is no
if
. We
are
,” he insists.

“Then we need to be equal partners,” I tell him. I brush my hand over his gorgeous, naked chest and then move up to his neck, caressing the back of it. “There’s no ownership. You are mine as much as I’m yours. Understand?”

“I am yours,” he agrees. “Completely and fully.”

“Then I can be yours, too.”

He leans down and kisses me gently on the lips. “My mate. My Liz. You are my everything.”

Yep, definitely hard to stay mad at that.

• • •

We end up lazing about in bed for a few more hours, making love a few more times and napping. To his credit, he promises to be more understanding about the hunting. All the while, he caresses my abdomen when he thinks I’m not paying attention.

I’ve never particularly thought about being someone’s mom. But it’s clear that to Raahosh? Me and this baby are everything. And it makes me wonder what his life is like back at the caves. Vektal made it sound like everyone was all happy go lucky in igloos or some shit, but maybe it’s lonelier than I think for someone like Raahosh, who has scars and sucks with people skills. The fact that he was a big ol’ virgin tells me that with the few ladies in the tribe, they weren’t exactly banging down his door for his dick.

No matter how magnificent his equipment is.

And it’s weird, but I’m kind of glad he’s all mine. There’s no chick waiting for him back home. No ex-girlfriends I might have to confront. He’s just…mine. It’s like he’s always been waiting for me.

So…I guess I won’t go hunting alone if it really gets his panties in a wad.

But by the time we’re hungry for dinner, I balk at the thought of more of the dry, tasteless smoked meat. “You can come with me,” I cajole Raahosh. “We can check the traps and have something fresh and tasty to eat. Wouldn’t that be nice?” I tap my stomach. “And fresh food is better if I’m truly pregnant.”

He grunts a response and puts on his loin-cloth, so I suppose that means we’re going out. It’s odd, but I’m excited to get out in the fresh air and tromp through the snow. I like seeing what’s wandered into my traps. And I’m really craving fresh, raw meat. Weird, I know.

We bank the fire, straighten up the cave, and then head out, dressed and armed for a trek. The weather’s overcast and it looks like it could snow again. Big surprise there. It snows every damn day.

While Raahosh was recovering, I pulled two more of the ugly spear-fish things from the water and made two bows and a whole slew of arrows. I even managed a couple of makeshift quivers with some extra pelts. I’m a regular Daniel Boone around here.

It’s strange – I remember hunting with my father when I was a girl and never thought anything of it. Now that I’m out on my own with Raahosh, I’m remembering things I’ve forgotten, and more than that…I’m enjoying myself. I never thought of myself as the outdoorsy type, but there’s nothing more satisfying than letting a well-made arrow fly into a kill.

Well, okay, sex with Raahosh is more satisfying. Hunting is a close second.

Raahosh hovers a bit as we go tromping through the snow, until I slap his hands away when he tries to help me through a particularly deep patch of snow. His lips quirk with amusement when I shoot him a pissy look, and I realize he’s baiting me.

Dick. He’s so getting it tonight when we get back to the cave. As we check the traps, I mentally think of ways I can sexually torture my alien. Withholding’s off the table – that would be punishing me as well as him. Maybe a nice, languid blow job and I won’t let him come—

“Ho!” calls a voice from a distance, the sound faint on the blowing wind.

I look over at Raahosh in surprise. Was that English? Am I imagining things?

He stills, and then scans the horizon. Immediately, he grabs my arm and begins to hustle me back from where we came. “Hurry, Liz.”

“Wait. What are we running from?” I ready my bow as we slog through the snow. “Is it more metlaks?”

“Raahosh!” a voice calls out, and then says some words I don’t understand.

I gasp. “Are those your people?” I stop and turn, shielding my eyes from the overcast skies to see if I can make out who is there.

“Back to the cave,” Raahosh growls, and he stumbles in the snow.

My heart skitters in my chest and I tug on his arm. Playing around in bed is a different sort of activity than slogging through heavy snow, and I worry he’s overextending himself. Just last week, he had a broken leg. “Raahosh, wait. Don’t hurt yourself—“

He grabs the fur of my heavy cloak and hauls me against him. It takes me a moment for me to realize that he’s picking me up and carrying me away. He’s going to try and outrun them?

“Raahosh, wait!”

“They will not take you from me, Liz,” he says fiercely. “You are mine! My
mate
.”

“They can’t take me,” I say soothingly, trying to pet his shoulder. I’m worried he’s going to hurt himself. “Raahosh, please. You’re scaring me.”

That stops him in his desperate treading. He stops in the snow, and gently sets me down again. His hand touches my stomach, and then he cups my face in his hands. “You are my everything, Liz,” he murmurs before he kisses me.

“I know,” I say, confused.

“Raahosh! Human called Leezh!” Two voices, and new ones. “Do not run!”

We’ve been found.

Raahosh closes his eyes and holds me against him, gripping his knife. It worries me. I place my hand over his, a silent request not to attack.

And we wait.

LIZ

Two men approach in the snow, spears in hand. They’re not running, and the spears are used more as walking sticks, so I’m not too worried. Yet.

But Raahosh? Raahosh is beside himself.

“Human called Leezh,” one of them yells again, his hand cupped to his mouth. “Wait there!”

I give Raahosh an uncertain look. There is defeat written all over his proud features, and that concerns me. I slide my hand into his to reassure him, and he squeezes it tightly, then pulls me against him in a possessive hug. “Who are they?” I ask him.

“Aehako and Haeden,” Raahosh replies. There’s a toneless quality to his voice that I don’t like.

“Friends of yours?”

He grunts.

Ah. He’s unhappy because they’ve come to take us back to the tribe and I’m not knocked up and starry-eyed with love.

Theoretically, anyhow.

I pat his back and then rub it. “You knew they’d come after you at some point, right? I mean, from what it sounds like, you ran off with the cookie jar and all.”

His hand strokes my braids. He doesn’t move, but I can feel the tension growing as the others approach.

They slog through the waist-high snow as if it’s no big deal. One is smiling as they approach, and he’s got a friendly, open look to his face that’s nice. His features are blunter than Raahosh’s blade-like ones, but his expression of good cheer makes him that much more handsome. Unlike Vektal and Raahosh, his hair is short, buzzed close to his scalp. It makes his big, arching horns look that much more prominent. He’s a slatey sort of blue all over, and while not as tall as Raahosh, he’s got arms like friggin’ tree trunks.

Earth trees, not the Not-Hoth trees.

The other alien with him looks decidedly less friendly. He’s got the same charm-school glower that Raahosh does, but that’s where the similarities end. He’s a pale, milky blue, almost as muscled as the one at his side, and has a strong nose and square jaw that make him look pissy as hell. His hair is shaved on the sides and the long crest on top is braided and falls on his back.

They’re both wearing simple leather tunics and pants, and armed to the teeth.

Not a friendly hello, then.

“Raahosh! We’ve been looking everywhere for you.” The friendly one moves forward to clap Raahosh on the back, but Raahosh bares his teeth and glares at him, pulling me behind him. The newcomer looks surprised at this reaction. “You knew we’d be out. Vektal set us after you the moment we didn’t resonate.” He claps a hand to his heart and pretends to be grieved.

The other one has no expression whatsoever.

“Hi, I’m Liz,” I say, stepping out from behind Raahosh and offering my hand.

They look at me like I’m crazy, and the unfriendly one pulls his spear back.

“No, I’m not reaching for your weapons. This is a human greeting.” I shake my hand with the air. “You know, like an introduction.”

Raahosh grabs me and pulls me back before they can examine my hand more closely. “She is my mate,” he grits out. “We resonate for each other. There is nothing to discuss.”

I smack a hand on Raahosh’s arm, because now I’m getting annoyed. “If you’re done being an utter Neanderthal, I can speak for myself, thank you.”

The newcomers exchange a look. “I am called Aehako,” says the friendly one. He gestures at his buddy. “This is Haeden.” Aehako smiles down at me. “You are Leezh?”

“It’s a short I, actually. Liz.” I correct his pronunciation.

“It does not matter,” Raahosh says, and tries to pull me back again. “They should refer to you as Raahosh’s mate.”

I frown at this. “Hold the fuck up. I don’t get my own identity anymore?”

“You do,” Aehako assures me. “He’s simply being overprotective. Happens with every resonance.” He looks nonplussed, but I see a sneer cross Haeden’s face.

Haeden lifts his chin. “Just like your father, I see. Ignoring the rules as you see fit. Impulsive, headstrong, and foolish. You are your father’s son.”

It’s clearly not a compliment. Raahosh bristles visibly. His mouth curls and I see a flash of his teeth. “I did not wish for my story to end like yours.”

Haeden snarls and lunges for Raahosh, knocking him backward into the snow.

I scream as the men push me aside, Aehako pushing his way forward to break the two men apart. I stumble backward, falling on my ass into the snow. Raahosh snarls again, and then the next thing I know, he’s pushed both of the men aside and is tenderly helping me to my feet. He pulls me against his chest once more and strokes my braids, and I can hear the hammer of his heart in his big chest.

‘Simply being protective’ is perhaps an understatement.

“I’m fine,” I say, patting him on the arm. “I just don’t understand what is going on.”

“Get your things,” Aehako says in a careful voice. He scans the skies. “We have a few hours before the suns go down, and we can get started back to the tribal cave. Rokan says there will be a storm coming in a few days, and you know he is never wrong.”

I look to Raahosh.

He touches my chin, the look on his face thoughtful.

“Do not make this harder,” Haeden warns.

Raahosh just strokes my jaw. “We’ll go with you.”

It takes about an hour to get back to the small, cozy cave that Raahosh and I have called home for the last while. Aehako’s the only one that talks, carrying on a cheerful monologue. Raahosh is silent and Haeden is, too. I’m quiet because I’m watching all three of them, trying to determine my place.

Fact is, they’re aliens. Their culture is different from mine, and what may seem innocent on the surface might end up being a big problem later. So I’m watchful, and I try to absorb everything.